WASHINGTON — June 25, 2015 — The Association of Public Television Stations (APTS) president and CEO Patrick Butler issued the following statement today commending the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee for providing level funding for public broadcasting:
“The Association of Public Television Stations is delighted by today’s action by the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, which approved legislation providing $445 million for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) in Fiscal Year 2018 and $25.7 million for the Ready To Learn program in Fiscal Year 2016. We are extremely grateful for the bipartisan leadership of Committee Chairman Thad Cochran (R-MS) and Ranking Member Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), as well as Subcommittee Chairman Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA), in supporting public broadcasting.
“The committee’s vote today represents an extraordinary endorsement of public television's work by both the Republican majority and the Democratic minority. This action signals the restoration of broad bipartisan support for public broadcasting in the Senate, as did yesterday's approval of $445 million for CPB by the House Appropriations Committee's Republican majority.”
“We remain hopeful that critical interconnection funding will be provided by Congress as the appropriations process moves forward.
“Today is the culmination of a historic week in Congress in support of public broadcasting. Republican majorities in both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have approved substantial funding for public broadcasting. We are very pleased that Members of Congress, on both sides of the aisle, are increasingly recognizing that the federal investment in public broadcasting allows local stations to do what no other organizations are doing by providing critical local services in education, public safety and civic leadership to all Americans. We look forward to continuing to expand the bipartisan support for public broadcasting as funding levels are finalized.”
About APTS
The Association of Public Television Stations (APTS) is a nonprofit membership organization established in 1979. APTS represents the overwhelming majority of the 171 public television licensees nationwide. The mission of APTS is to conduct – in concert with member stations – advocacy, planning, research and communications activities to foster strong and financially sound noncommercial television. APTS also works to ensure member stations’ commitment and capacity to perform essential public service missions in education, public safety and civic leadership for the American people. For more information, visit www.apts.org.
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